Therapeutic Effect of Arginine, Glutamine and β-Hydroxy β-Methyl Butyrate Mixture as Nutritional Support on DSS-Induced Ulcerative Colitis in Rats.

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Ulcerative colitis (UC) is characterized by chronic mucosal inflammation, oxidative stress, and disruption of intestinal metabolic homeostasis. Immunomodulatory nutrients such as arginine, glutamine, and β-hydroxy β-methylbutyrate (HMB) have shown potential benefits; however, their combined molecular effects on UC remain insufficiently defined. OBJECTIVE: To investigate the individual and combined effects of arginine, glutamine, and HMB on inflammatory and metabolic gene expression, oxidative stress markers, and histopathological outcomes in a dextran sulfate sodium (DSS)-induced colitis model. METHODS: Female Sprague Dawley rats were assigned to six groups: control, DSS, DSS + arginine, DSS + glutamine, DSS + HMB, and DSS + mixture. Colitis was induced using 3% DSS. Colon tissues were examined histologically, serum MDA, MPO, and GSH levels were quantified, and mRNA expression of,,,,,, andwas measured by RT-qPCR. Pathway enrichment analyses were performed to interpret cytokine and metabolic network regulation. RESULTS: DSS induced severe mucosal injury, elevated MDA and MPO, reduced GSH, and significantly increased,,,, andexpression. Glutamine demonstrated the strongest anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects by decreasingandand restoring GSH. Arginine primarily modulated nitric oxide-related pathways, whereas HMB increasedexpression and metabolic adaptation. The combination treatment produced more balanced modulation across inflammatory, chemokine, and metabolic pathways, consistent with enrichment results highlighting cytokine signaling and amino acid metabolism. Histopathological improvement was greatest in the mixture group. CONCLUSIONS: Arginine, glutamine, and HMB ameliorate DSS-induced colitis through coordinated regulation of cytokine networks, oxidative stress responses, and metabolic pathways. Their combined use yields broader and more harmonized therapeutic effects than individual administration, supporting their potential as targeted immunonutritional strategies for UC. Rather than targeting a single inflammatory mediator, this study was designed to test whether combined immunonutrient supplementation could promote coordinated regulation of cytokine signaling, oxidative stress responses, and metabolic adaptation, thereby facilitating mucosal repair in experimental colitis.